The Lancashire Witches eBook

Full of these meditations, he tied his horse to a
tree and entered the churchyard, and while pursuing
a path shaded by a row of young lime-trees leading
to the porch, he perceived at a little distance from
him, near the cross erected by Abbot Cliderhow, two
persons who attracted his attention. One was
the sexton, who was now deep in the grave; and the
other an old woman, with her back towards him.
Neither had remarked his approach, and, influenced
by an unaccountable feeling of curiosity, he stood
still to watch their proceedings. Presently, the
sexton, who was shovelling out the mould, paused in
his task; and the old woman, in a hoarse voice, which
seemed familiar to the listener, said, “What
hast found, Zachariah?”

And, as the sexton complied with her injunction, she
added, “Now I must have three scalps.”

“Here they be, mother,” replied Zachariah,
uncovering a heap of mould with his spade. “Two
brain-pans bleached loike snow, an the third wi’
more hewr on it than ey ha’ o’ my own sconce.
Fro’ its size an shape ey should tak it to be
a female. Ey ha’ laid these three skulls
aside fo’ ye. Whot dun yo mean to do wi’
’em?”

“Question me not, Zachariah,” said the
hag, sternly; “now give me some pieces of the
mouldering coffin, and fill this box with the dust
of the corpse it contained.”

“I’m going,” replied the hag, “but
first I must have my funeral rites performed—­ha!
ha! Bury this for me, Zachariah,” she said,
giving him a small clay figure. “Bury it
deep, and as it moulders away, may she it represents
pine and wither, till she come to the grave likewise!”